Thoughts on Sales Pitches
November 18th, 2008 by Jeb Foster
1. Don’t pitch. At first, strive to have your prospect do most of the talking. By asking questions and taking a low-key approach, you can quickly glean your prospect’s needs and wants and tailor your sales approach accordingly.
2. Keep it short. Try out this analogy: Prospects are like paper bags. Your pitch is water. Pour too much into the bag, it will break and the contents will end up in a puddle on the floor.
3. Emphasize substance over style. Too much polish can arouse suspicion and cynicism. Convey your key points clearly and with confidence, and don’t worry if your delivery doesn’t have the smooth baritone of your local used car dealer (in fact, rejoice that it doesn’t). Be yourself.
4. Tailor your delivery to each prospect. Each prospect is unique, with a varying financial situation, as well unique motivations and buying patterns. They have different levels of insurance savvy. Some want to buy a policy quickly, while others want to take their time. Since there are no generic prospects, there should be no generic sales presentations.
5. Keep it conversational. People retain information more easily when it’s presented in conversation than if it’s given through a one-way lecture. It’s also easier to forge a real relationship with someone when you talk like regular person.
